Woven-wire mattress



(No Model.) 1

C. W. BROWN.

WOVEN WIRE MATTRESS. I No. 357,697. Patented Feb. 15, I887.-

ZUiiizes-ses; I

N, PETERS. Phnto-Lilhogmphqr. Washington, D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES WV. BROWN, OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

WOVEN-WIRE MATTRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 357,697, dated February15,1887.

A pplication filed February 1, 1886. Serial No. 190,433. (No model.)

To 00 whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. BROWN, of Newton, county of Middlesex,and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in WovenWireMattresses, of which the following description, in connection with theaccompanying drawing, is a specification, like letters on the drawingsrepresenting like parts.

This invention relates to woven-wire mattresses, and has for its objectto prevent sagging of the same when supporting persons of unequalweight, the mattress at the same tim preserving its elasticity. Y

Woven-wire mattresses have been to a great degree objectionable onaccount of sagging when supporting persons of unequal weights; saidsagging causing the occupants of the bed to roll toward the center.

Prior to my invention woven-wire fabrics their ends fastened to thesideand end rails of the frame-work by springs. Such construction preventsthe sagging of the mattress, but it also at the same time deprives thewire fabric of the greater part of its elasticity.

Wire bands or springs placed beneath and in contact with the wire fabrichave been used, said bands or springs being extended diagonally acrossthe wire mattress and crossing each other in the center. The bands orsprings referred t0,while supporting the. mattress at the center, do notprevent sagging or rolling toward the sides when the said mattresssupports two persons, such mattress being especially adapted to supportonly one person.

In order to prevent the sagging toward the center of the wire mattresswhen supporting two persons of unequal weight, and at the same timepreserve to the'wire mattress all its elasticity, I have secured to theside pieces of the mattress-frame one or more transverse bands and aseries of oppositely converging and overlapping bands attached to theendpieces of said mattress-frame, said bands being located below and, forthe greater part of their length, out of contact with the wire.

The drawing shows in plan view the under sideot' a woven-wire mattress,showing my invention applied thereto, only a part of the wire fabricbeing shown.

The mattress-frame, consisting of the end pieces, a a, and side pieces,a a, and provided with the woven-wire fabric A, attached thereto, may beof usual or preferred construction.

In connection with the woven-wire mattress I provide a metallic band, 0,having, preferably, at each end a coiled spring, 0', the said band beingattached by its springs to the side pieces, a a about midway of theirlength, to provide at or about the middle of the mattress a transverseband, which, for convenience, I term the main or primary band.

In addition to the transverse bands 0, I also provide the longitudinalbands (I d e e, the former of which. preferably a pair, being secured tothe end piece a near its ends, and then converging and being attached tothe short strip or band d, which in turn is provided with a coiledspring, d secured to the end piece a, at or about its center. The otherlongitudinal bands, 6 e, are each provided at one end with coiledsprings e,whieh in turn are secured to the end piece a near its ends,the said longitudinal bands 6 then converging in an opposite directionto the convergence of the bands (I, and being attached to the singlestrip 6', which in turn is at tached to the end piece a at or about itscenter, all as clearly shown in the drawing.

The bands (I and e are interposed between the woven fabric A and thetransverse band 0, and are out of contact with said fabric except wherethey are fastened to the end piece, a, as shown in the drawing. By thisarrangement it will be noted that the oppositely-converging longitudinalbands (I and e overlap each other and cross the transverse or main banda, preferably at two points about equidistant from each other and fromthe side pieces, a a so that when the woven-wire fabric A is strained orcaused to sag by reason of weightthereon, the said fabric by said weightis brought in contact with the bands d and e. As the woven -fabric comesin contact with the bands d and e, the strain upon said fabric istransferred from it to one or more of said bands, and, by reason of thearrangement of said bands, the strain or pressure is distributedthroughout and borne by all or nearly all of said bands, therebyequalizing the pressure, and, in substance, preserving the woven-wiremattress in its normally level or flat condition.

Vhenever strain is exerted on the mattress fabric at or about orsubstantially in the line of the transverse band 0, and one side of thelongitudinal center of the mattress frame, which is usually the casewhere two persons occupy the bed, such strain is directly transmittedfrom the mattress fabric to the overlapping bands (Z c, and in turn tothe transverse band 0, at the point where said bands cross each other,to thoroughly equalize the strain, and, in effect, spread su ch strainth roughout the mattress fabric. The bands (Z and a being below and outof contact with the woven fabric of the mattress preserves to said wovenfabric its elasticity, while at the same time they prevent sagging ofsaid fabric when the latter is brought in contact with them.

The coiled springs enable the bands to give more or less, as may beneeessary,when strain or pressure is applied to the woven-wire mattress.

It will be noticed that the transverse band 0 and overlapping bands (I care crossed or grouped at two main points-narnely, in the line of thetransverse band and one point to each side of the longitudinal center ofthe frame--which points of grouping of the bands are located at the twoplaces of the mattress fabric which, in the ordinary use of the bed,

receive the largest portion of the weight of the persons occupying saidbed, and consequently are subjected to the greatest strain. By sucharrangement of the bands sagging of the mattress fabric at such point isprevented, and all rolling toward the center by reason of the unequalweights of the persons occupying the bed is obviated.

I claim-- 1. A frame for bed-bottoms provided with an attachedwoven-wire fabric, combined with a transverse band connected to the sidepieces of the frame, and the pairs of oppositelycon' i 'erging bandsextending from end to end of the frame, and connected to the ends ofsaid frame and overlying the transverse hand, the said several bandsunderlying the wire fabric, all substantially as described.

2. A 1nattrcss-frame having side and end pieces and provided with thewoven-wire fabric, a transverse band having at its ends coiled springssecured to the side pieces of the frame, the oppositelyconvergingoverlapping bands secured at their points of convergence to me tallicstrips, and coiled springs interposed between said longitudinal bandsand the mattress'frame, all combined substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHAS. W. BROWN.

XVitnesses:

B. J. NOYICS, C. M. GONE.

